For a series that has yet to deliver a mind blowing performance at the box office, there’s been quite a bit of dispute over who gets to be a part of the future of Vin Diesel’s xXx franchise. Previously there wasa lawsuit where a founding producer of the series contested that he had a stake in all sequels past the 2002 original. Now there’s a whole new dispute that’s questioning another potential participant’s exact stake in the future of the fourth film that’s been planned for some time now.
Per a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Chinese company Weiying Galaxy is now in a legal battle with production company The H Collective, as the foreign ticketing vendor had contributed money into a joint venture for which they now are now seeking damages. The financial contribution from Weiying Galaxy was in the name of acquiring 100% of the derivative rights to the xXx series, which would have given joint venture Xtreme Picture total control over the fourth entry in the franchise, as well as any future remakes and TV projects. However, a year after both parties had started to do business, some huge irregularities presented itself.
Weiying Galaxy discovered that despite their intentions, The H Collective only had control of 50% of the derivative rights to the xXx series, and any transfer of their piece of the pie had to be approved by Vin Diesel himself. This particular deal started in 2017, the same year that xXx: The Return of Xander Cage energized the franchise for a new generation, and delivered original production company Revolution Pictures its highest grossing film ever. But it wasn’t until earlier this year, and two years after Weiying Galaxy had made a payment of over $6 million into their joint venture with The H Collective, that approval was given by Diesel’s representatives for the company to be involved.
So what we’re looking at right now is the future of xXx 4 once again being put into question, as a company has invested time and money into a deal that looked more profitable and promising than it actually was. This also comes on the heels of the news that Weiying Galaxy’s share in the series has depreciated even more, as they had to allegedly grant “the Diesel Entity” more control over the next steps in this potential cinematic universe. And if you read the full extent that this argument is being waged, there’s a lot more at stake.
Fans have been waiting over three years for xXx: The Return of Xander Cage to produce a sequel that could potentially show Xander Cage and his team “watching the watchers” of international relations. Depending on how long this dispute goes on for, those that want to indulge in some more over the top Vin Diesel action will have to either wait for this planned fourth film to hit, or divert their attentions back to the Fast and Furious Saga. That latter option is certainly the easier one, as F9 will be in theaters on May 28th, 2021, and represents one of many films that make up the ever more crowded 2021 release schedule.
